Hatbox



April 19, 1949. v DRQUTMAN 2,467,584

HAT BOX Filed April 4, 1947 INVENTOR ham-Dmuiman ATTOR N EYS PatentedApr. 19, 1949 HATBOX Abraham Droutman, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor toDroutman Manufacturing 00., New York, N. Y.,

a partnership Application April 4, 1947, Serial No. 739,311

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a hat box and, more particularly, to a hat boxhaving a cover securable thereto by means of a pair of fastener tapes.

It is a common and well-known practice to secure slide fastener tapes toa pair of separable elements of an article by stitching. These slidefastener tapes frequently become torn or damaged with continued use andrequire repair or replacement if the article is not to be discarded.

In many instances the particular configuration of the portion of thearticle to which the fastener tape is stitched or the configuration ofthe article itself makes the removal and replacement of the fastenertape difiicult and impractical. This is particularly true of a hat boxwhich is generally cylindrical or drum shaped and wherein one of thefastener tapes is stitched completely around the upper peripheral edgeof the body thereof for cooperation with a second fastener tape securedto the cover of the box. Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a slide fastener tape for a hat box or the likewhich is removably securable around the peripheral body wall thereof,without stitching, and in such a manner that removal or replacement ofthe fastener tape can be conveniently efiected when the tape becomesdamaged or worn and which will also save time and. labor in the originalfabrication of the hat box.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a slide fastenertape mounting of the character indicated which is designed andconstructed in such a manner that it will be fixedly held in securedposition without upward or downward displacement despite the stress towhich it will be subjected in repeatedly opening and closing the coverof the box and carrying the box about.

The above objects are achieved by aflixing a slide fastener tape to asleeve or loop of any suitable material and locating a flexible band ofsheet metal or the like within a plurality of integral, pointedprojections spaced throughout its length. The fastener tape may bepositioned between the inner and outer folds of the sleeve whichenvelopes the flexible band and the assembly completed by stitchingthrough the inner and outer folds of the sleeve and the fastener tape.The fastener tape assembly thus formed may be positioned about the hatbox body at the upper peripheral 'edge thereof adjacent the cover afterwhich it is tensioned and the ends of the flexible band secured.together in any suitable manner. The fastener tape will be held inposition due to the combined effect of tensioning the flexible bandwithin the tape-supporting sleeve and the action of the pointedprojections of the band which firmly press against and grip the outerWall of the hat box body.

The foregoing features of the invention as well as additional featuresand advantages will be readily understood in the course of the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing whichillustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a broken view, partly in perspective and partly in section, ofa hat box having attached thereto a slide fastener tape assemblyembodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view with parts broken away toillustrate the construction of the slide fastener tape assembly and onemethod of securing together the protruding ends of the flexible bandwithin the tape-supporting sleeve;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing the relationshipbetween the slide fastener tape assembly and the body of the hat box andalso the arrangement of the component elements of the tape assembly;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the slide fastener tapeassembly with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is :a sectional View taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4'.

The hat box may be of any desired shape, but is preferably cylindricalas illustrated in the drawings and comprises an outer wall I0, an innerwall I] and a cover 12 which may be swingably mounted on the hat boxbody by means of an external flap I3 and in internal flap l4. Cover 12has a slide fastener tape l5 secured around its edge by stitching or inany other suitable manner. Inner wall ll may have a lining and the hatbox maybe provided with a suitable handle l6.

Outer wall l0 may be of any suitable material such as leather, fabric,synthetic plastic or the like and sleeve I! is preferably of the samematerial as said outer wall and may be formed simply by bending asuitable length of material over upon itself. A flexible band I8, whichmay be cut or stamped from sheet metal, is dis-posed within sleeve H forthe entire length thereof and "is its-elf of sufficient length to havefree ends [8a.v protruding from the ends of said sleeve, as illustratedin Figs. 2 and 4. An important feature of the invention is the provisionon flexible band l8 of a plurality of space-d and preferably pointedprojections IQ for a purpose to be fully described hereinafter. Slidefastener tape 20 may be supported on or within sleeve H in any suitablemanner, such as, for example by interposing the lower end of saidfastener tape between the folds of sleeve I1 and stitching therethrough,it being understood, of course, that flexible band l8 has beenpositioned within said sleeve before stitching.

For convenience, the structure just described and comprising flexibleband l8, tape-supporting sleeve l1 and slide fastener tape 20 will bedesignated slide fastener tape assembly 2|. Said assembly may be securedabout the hat box body by first being positioned about the peripheralouter wall I adjacent its upper edge and then being tensioned thereaboutby drawing free ends l8a of flexible band l8 toward each other, afterwhich said free ends are secured together in any convenient manner. Fig.2 of the drawing illustrates the securement of tensioned band l8 bymeans of a fastening clip 22 crimped over the overlapping free ends l8aas at 23. It is to be understood, of course, that any satisfactoryalternative arrangement may be employed for this purpose.

The tensioned assembly 2| will be held firmly in adjusted positionagainst any possible displacement by the gripping action of projectionsI9 of band I8 against the body wall of the box. Slide fastener tape 20of assembly 2| cooperates with slide fastener tape l of cover 12 bymeans of a conventional slide-pull (not shown) to removably secure saidcover in closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The tensionedassembly 2| is preferably positioned in such a manner that fasteningclip 22 or its equivalent will be concealed beneath external hinge flap[3.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a retaining member24 (see Figs. 1 and 3) fixed in position adjacent the upper edge'of thehat box body and extendin completely therearound. Retaining member 24may take the form of any suitable construction providing a lateralabutment at the upper edge of the hat box body against which abutmentslide fastener tape assembly 2| may be positioned. Retaining member 24serves not only to prevent upward displacement of assembly 2| but alsoas a guide in locating and securing said assembly about the hat boxbody.

gs. 1 and 3 of the drawing illustrate a convenient form of member 24 asa loop of material enveloping a stiffening core 25a of cord or wire, theloop of material being secured to the outer wall I!) of the hat box bodyby stitching.

Since certain modifications may be made in the article of the inventionwithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanyingdrawing be inter preted as merely illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

1. A hat box comprising a body, a cover swingably mounted on said bodyand having a slide fastener tape secured along the edge thereof and aslide fastener tape assembly securable about said body, said tapeassembly comprising a slide having a plurality of spaced projectionsthroughout its length, said flexible band being tensioned about saidbody, said projections facing inwardly and in the direction of saidbody, said projections being in gripping engagement with said body byreason of the tension under which the flexible band is held about saidbody, whereby the slide fastener tape assembly is held in adjustableposition on said body.

2. A hat box comprising a body, a cover swingably mounted on said bodyand having a slide fastener tape secured along the edge thereof and aslide fastener tape assembly securable about said body, said tapeassembly comprising a slide fastener tape cooperable with saidfirst-mentioned fastener tape to removably secure said cover in closedposition, a tape-supporting sleeve, and a flexible band within saidsleeve, said flexible band having a plurality of spaced projectionsthroughout its length and having free ends protruding from the ends ofsaid sleeve, said flexible band being tensioned about said body, thefree ends of said flexible band being inter-connected, the projectionson said band facing inwardly and in the direction of said body andgripping said body, whereby the slide fastener tape assembly is firmlyheld in adjusted position on said body.

, 3. A hat box as claimed in claim 1 having retaining means for saidslide fastener tape assembly, said means comprising a loop of materialhaving a stiffening core therewithin, said loop being fixed about saidbody adjacent the upper edge thereof and coextensive with said assembly.4. A hat box as claimed in claim 2 having retaining means for said slidefastener tape assembly, said means comprisin a loop of material having astifiening core therewithin, said loop being fixed about said bodyadjacent the, upper edge thereof and coextensive with said assembly.

5. 'A slide fastener tape assembly removably securable about areceptacle body or the like, comprising a slide fastener tape, a sleevesupporting said fastener tape, and a flexible band within said sleeve,said band having a plurality of spaced projections throughout itslengthand having free ends protruding from the ends of saidsleeve fortensioning said assembly about said receptacle body, said projectionsfacing in the direction of said receptacle body and gripping said bodyto position the slide fastenertape assembly thereon. 6. A slide fastenertape assembly removably securable about a receptacle body or the like,comprising a slide fastener tape, a sleeve supporting said fastenertape, said tape being secured between the inner and outer folds of saidsleeve, and a flexible band within said sleeve, said flexible bandhaving a plurality of spaced projections formed thereon throughout itslength, said projections facing inwardly in the direction of thereceptacle body, whereby tensio-ning said band about said receptaclebody will firmly hold said assembly in adjusted position by the grippingaction of said projections against said body.

ABRAHAM DROUTMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,734,587 Lowe Nov. 5, 19292,114,683 Kates Apr. 19, 1938

